Recent Advances in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Abstract

671 Aging Health (2010) 6(6), 671–674 10.2217/AHE.10.72 © 2010 Future Medicine Ltd The opening ceremony featured several keynote speakers: the famous epidemiologist Weiya Zhang from the University of Nottingham (UK) and the world-class researcher Anthony Robin Poole from the McGill University of Montreal (Canada). Zhang’s lecture was entitled ‘Metaepidemiology: building the bridge from research evidence to clinical practice’, whereas Poole presented a lecture titled ‘Cartilage: inside out’. These lectures were preceded by the awards ceremony. Each year, the OARSI gives out a basic science and a clinical research award. This year, the winners were Felix Eckstein (clinical award) and Martin Lotz (basic research award). Eckstein, born 1964 in Freiburg, Germany, studied Medicine in Freiburg and Heidelberg, where he graduated in 1991. In 1991, he joined the research group led by Reinhard Putz at the Institute of Anatomy at the Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Munich, Germany, to work on joint morphology and mechanics. In 2004, Eckstein became Professor of Anatomy and Director of the Institute of Anatomy and Musculoskeletal Research at the Paracelsus Private Medical University (PMU) in Salzburg, Austria. The research by Eckstein’s team focuses on the integration of imaging methods for understanding the morphology, function and disease of musculoskeletal tissues, in particular OA and osteoporosis. Lotz is currently head of the Division of Arthritis Research at Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA, USA). He received his award for his work on chondrocyte differentiation, apoptosis and OA. His studies on human joint aging in vitro and in animal models led to the identification of cell death as an important event in the pathogenesis of aging-related and post-traumatic OA. He also found that inhibitors of cell death were effective in reducing cartilage damage in vitro and in vivo; some of these inhibitors are currently being developed as treatments to address inflammation after joint injury and to prevent the development of OA. The Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) is the premier i nternational organization for scientists and healthcare professionals focused on the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) through the promotion and presentation of research, education and the worldwide dissemination of new knowledge. The mission of the OARSI is to provide quality educational opportunities and disseminate research on OA throughout the world. In order to accomplish this goal, OARSI sponsors yearly conferences and workshops, a superb academic journal, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, a newsletter covering society business as well as medical and research developments and important committees, such as the Osteoarthritis Clinical Trials Design Task Force. The 2010 OARSI World Congress, ‘Osteoarthritis: Start a New Decade’, was a great opportunity for the OARSI to assess the events of the last decade and to draw up the goals of the following one. More than 1000 of the world’s leading scientists, clinicians and o thers interested in OA convened in Brussels for this event featuring the latest research and c linical updates in OA. The program was chaired by Yves Henrotin and Amanda Fosang, with the participation of the previous president, Francis Berenbaum. This year’s program covered the most topical issues related to cartilage and OA, including the mechanisms of cartilage degradation, nonpharmacological and pharmacological modalities, obesity, angiogenesis, animal models, mechanobiology, imaging, biomarkers, epidemiology, genetics, spine OA, dietary and surgery. A debate session co-chaired by Matthew Warman (Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA) and T Spector (King’s College London, UK) dedicated to genome-wide association studies. A precongress workshop was organized to inform the attendees of the evolving evidence and changes in the OARSI recommendations for the m anagement of knee and hip OA. CONFERENCE SCENE